Read the entire article here on the Miami Herald website

San Antonio bid on hold

BY BARRY JACKSON AND MIKE PHILLIPS
The Miami Herald
bjackson@MiamiHerald.com

The Marlins informed San Antonio on Tuesday that it will be ''a few more weeks'' before the team and Major League Baseball decide whether to pursue more serious negotiations about moving the team there, Bexar County (San Antonio) Judge Nelson Wolff said Tuesday.

Wolff, the county's highest-ranking politician, said MLB and the Marlins want to analyze the ''stadium proposal, media market and economics of San Antonio'' before deciding whether to go forward.

''If it's a favorable conclusion, they will come down and talk to us [for a second time],'' Wolff said. ``It leaves me cautiously optimistic. They are taking it seriously.''

Bexar County has offered to ask voters to extend a hotel and car rental tax to cover $200 million of an open-air stadium that Wolff estimates will cost at least $300 million. The deadline for calling a November election would be early August. Before an election is called, Wolff would insist on negotiating a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Marlins.

Though MLB has given the Marlins permission to talk with San Antonio, it has not decided whether to allow the team to enter into an MOU with the county. BizJournal.com recently released a study expressing concerns about whether San Antonio, the nation's 38th-largest media market, could support a second professional team.

Wolff said if the issue is taken to voters, ''It would have to be done with the understanding'' the Marlins ''are coming.'' That could be tricky, because moving the team would take the approval of three-quarters of big-league owners.

''They're not going to negotiate this unless they really want to come here,'' Wolff said. ``That's why they're taking all this time.''

The Marlins have kept in contact with Hialeah officials, but no significant progress has been made toward building a retractable-roof stadium locally.

Read the entire article here on the San Antonio Express-News website

S.A. baseball in wait-and-see mode with Marlins

By Tom Orsborn
The San Antonio Express-News

Saying Major League Baseball needs more time to determine if San Antonio is a viable market, the Florida Marlins told Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff on Tuesday that it could be "weeks" before he learns whether relocation talks would continue.

In a conversation with Marlins president David Samson, Wolff said he learned baseball and the Marlins are doing a joint market analysis of San Antonio. News of the study comes six days after Wolff offered the team a deal that called for Bexar County to cover two-thirds of the cost for a $300 million stadium.

"I knew (an analysis) had to be done at some point," Wolff said. "I'm glad it's going to be done up front before we waste a lot of time negotiating (a memorandum of understanding) that might not be approved (by MLB).

"I'm still cautiously optimistic we are going to get to the next step. But the next step is a big one, and I want (the Marlins and MLB) to be comfortable taking it. Baseball has to give the Marlins a red light, a green light or maybe a caution. It's not just what the Marlins want. It's what baseball will agree to."

The Marlins declined comment. A MLB spokesman said its involvement with the World Baseball Classic has prevented officials from taking a close look at Bexar County's plan to spend up to $200 million, contingent on voter approval, to build an open-air stadium.

"We are not in position to make a comment until we study the proposal," said Rich Levin, MLB vice president of public relations.

MLB has allowed the Marlins to explore relocation, but the team has not applied for permission to move. Relocation requires the approval of three-quarters of baseball's owners.

Wolff speculated MLB needs a couple of weeks to learn if there is support among the owners for the Marlins to move to San Antonio.

"(Samson) doesn't want to run down here and make a deal and then have Major League Baseball say, 'Sorry, you can't move,'" Wolff said. "It has to be a tandem decision."

Wolff plans to generate money for a stadium through an extension of the hotel and rental-car taxes used to build the AT&T Center. He said he would call a November election if the Marlins agree to a memorandum of understanding and find local investors.

Samson, stepson of Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, visited San Antonio in December. Wolff said he expects Samson and other team officials to make another visit soon.

In the meantime, Wolff said he's ready to help the Marlins and baseball with their analysis.

"They are going to look at everything from the stadium deal to the city's corporate base to what kind of cable television deal they can get," Wolff said.

FSN Florida, which is affiliated with Fox Sports Net, recently received exclusive rights to televise Marlins games in South Florida beginning this season. The cable channel declined to reveal the amount it is paying the Marlins to televise as many as 150 of the 162 games.

Such deals typically generate millions for teams. The Los Angeles Angels, for example, reportedly have negotiated a 10-year contract with Fox Sports Net that could be worth as much as $500 million.

"A cable deal could be the thing that moves this thing along or stops it," Wolff said. "It wouldn't make sense for the Marlins to come down here and spend any time looking around without knowing that piece of the puzzle."

The Marlins are looking to move because stadium talks in South Florida have stalled. Marc Ganis, a national sports marketing expert, said the speed in which the county submitted a stadium proposal is impressive.

"It shows San Antonio can get things done," Ganis said. "Think about this from the Marlins' perspective: They have been working for three years to get a stadium deal in South Florida, and then San Antonio comes up with something in no time. It demonstrates the can-do attitude San Antonio has."

But Ganis questions whether a quality ballpark could be built for $300 million.

"The good news is construction costs are relatively modest in that part of the country," Ganis said. "The bad news is bells and whistles such as scoreboards, seats and concession equipment are usually bought from other markets, and you don't get reductions on those items.

"But the biggest number is for concrete, and you can get that at a lower cost in Texas."

Believe me, the Marlins do not really want to go to San Antone.

quote:

Originally posted by MrJones:
Believe me, the Marlins do not really want to go to San Antone.

inside info, or gut feeling?

quote:

Originally posted by Hap:

quote:

Originally posted by MrJones:
Believe me, the Marlins do not really want to go to San Antone.

inside info, or gut feeling?

It's my feeling based on my senses. How can anyone get really excited over the SA market? MLB has the power to put the Kabosh on this, as we all know. Loria could do it just to get that stadium deal, but look what MLB is trading, South Florida for South Texas. Duh. No one in their right mind would ordinarily do that. That's a major down-sizing of markets. #11 to #38? Wow. Does that mean it won't happen? No, it could, but I don't see it happening. San Antone is one of those towns right now that is desperate to put it's name on a map and "prove" to everyone else that it is "major." It's a joke. It is true that San Antone has grown, but this deal just doesn't make a lot of sense, especially when the parties in metro-dade have been relatively close in terms of numbers in the past.

It's unfortunate for Loria. He only has San Antone right now to use as the stick against South Florida to get his stadium. Is anyone in South Florida truly nervous about this? I mean, I wouldn't take it lightly, but it just doesn't pencil out. If I am in San Ant., I'd be skeptical. But at least they are now getting a taste of being used in terms of getting a team. That seems to be a right of passage for most markets that pick up a relocated team. You gotta get used before you get abused.

quote:

"It shows San Antonio can get things done," Ganis said. "Think about this from the Marlins' perspective: They have been working for three years to get a stadium deal in South Florida, and then San Antonio comes up with something in no time. It demonstrates the can-do attitude San Antonio has."

It was exactly what the Marlins wanted to help with their Miami negotiations. How perfect is that quote in the eyes of Marlins' Officials?

I also find MLB's stance on this as a HUGE positive for Portland's chances. No, we haven't exactly been "players" in this whole thing yet, however, but if you take away SA as a viable market, and exclude Vegas because of the misc. issues, then our odds have just increased greatly. I would also think we have an edge on N. Virginia simply because of the saturation of teams up there. I could be wrong on that, and maybe the owners up that way and MLB itself would be willing to add another team in that region.

Now, all we have to do is get the Mayor on board...
Maybe the Governor would be a better candidate for support.

quote:

Now, all we have to do is get the Mayor on board...
Maybe the Governor would be a better candidate for support.

The Gov. is on board. The state portion is finished with SB-5. Getting the mayor on board is our brick wall.

quote:

How can anyone get really excited over the SA market? MLB has the power to put the Kabosh on this, as we all know. Loria could do it just to get that stadium deal, but look what MLB is trading, South Florida for South Texas. Duh. No one in their right mind would ordinarily do that. That's a major down-sizing of markets. #11 to #38?

Be careful dissing San Antonio with these arguments; the same things could be said about Portland. We're not THAT much larger a market than San Antonio, and we haven't got a city the size of Austin 75 miles away to draw from. Logically, staying in south Florida because of its market-size potential DOES make the most sense, so it's really a question of which area wants MLB the most and is willing to support it - and that may be Portland and/or San Antonio over south Florida if they can't get a new stadium built down there.

I think this is a "gut check" for the SA Judge. I just think MLB is saying "small market" and $300 Million is too low for the stadium. A request for costs at the different locations should be a requirement before the Marlins and MLB OK a MOU.

MLB has too much knowledge on stadia issues to be hoodwinked by SA. Concrete isn't the issue, its steel costs that are going sky high (China is using something like 95 percent of the worlds cranes).

Hey, Gov. K and Mayor Potter!! Get Oregon Steel involved and push for steel fabrication here in America for our MLB Stadium. Think about jobs for our kids please.

BB

quote:

Originally posted by Big Boomer:
I think this is a "gut check" for the SA Judge. I just think MLB is saying "small market" and $300 Million is too low for the stadium.

How do you get that when its a simple put on hold time period where the MLB and Marlins and see what they're getting in a stadium and in a market.

If anything, this looks good for San Antonio simply for the fact that both parties (MLB and Marlins) are taking this very serious.

quote:

Originally posted by CLARKfromSA:
If anything, this looks good for San Antonio simply for the fact that both parties (MLB and Marlins) are taking this very serious.

They're making sure that they don't expend energies if it is not warranted.

This cuts both ways. It's an out for the Marlins if the outcome isn't to their liking, or they are looking for an out.

If the outcome is positive, there's still the MOU to deal with.

I see this as a 70-30 split with the 70% being on the "not good" side of the ledger.

Maury, you are too kind. I would put it at 80%-90% bad, specifically because of the MOU.

One thing that is true...San Antonio is moving on this. How well prepared or thought out this is? I don't know.

I have a difficult time accepting San Antonio as a better MLB market than Portland. No knock on the city, because it looks absolutely beautiful.

quote:

I have a difficult time accepting San Antonio as a better MLB market than Portland. No knock on the city, because it looks absolutely beautiful.

It's not better, but it's not far behind. The leadership there just seems (is) more aggressive than the "can't-do" (or maybe "won't-do") mentality that too often permeates Portland.

And it IS a beautiful, historic city. South Texas would be my #1 choice to live - after Portland! (That's a personal preference, folks, not casting aspersions on any other place in the world.)